Don't forget, my conclusion is based on the practical issues of someone visiting NYC. Time is a huge issue, as I don't think many people have time to wander these days. Walking is another issue, as many people will need to walk if relying on public transportation. I'm not saying there isn't great stuff in the other boroughs, I'm just saying that it does take more time and effort to find these places. Anyway, thanks for all the comments!

Well, I just wanted to summarize my experience in the other boroughs for the benefit of other curious out of towners. But before I begin, I want to thank all of the chowhounders that contributed to my thread by giving me great suggestions.

One of the biggest questions for me initially was whether I could get to all the neighborhoods without a car. I'm happy to say that I got to every destination by public transit. This included Arthur Ave, Astoria, Williamsburg, Roosevelt Ave and Flushing. The other question is how safe the other boroughs were. I am also happy to say that I felt comfortable pretty much everywhere I went.

Below are my comments for each neighborhood I visited. Please keep in mind that these comments are from the perspective of an out of town visitor, not someone who lives in NY.

Arthur Ave - I honestly don't think this is worth the trip. There are a few Italian restaurants to try, but nothing that you can't get in Manhattan. I got here by train, not subway, which wasn't bad, but there's the extra inconvenience of having to wait for departure times. I think this place would be great for locals, because there's a ton of fresh cheese, meat, etc. you can get, but for a visitor w/o a fridge or time to cook, you can walk through the neighborhood in 30 mins to an hour.

Williamsburg - this was very easy to get to and had a lot of coffee shops and small eateries. I had lunch at pies n thighs and it was very good. Bedford Ave, the main road, isn't very long, so I would combine Williamsburg with a visit to other parts of Brooklyn.

Astoria - I thought this was a very interesting neighborhood and not something you'd see in CA. There was a lot of middle eastern cuisine and hookah lounges. I tried going to Mombar, but it is only open for dinner, so then I tried Kebab King, but their oven was broken. I ended up at Queens Comfort for American comfort food. Not my first choice in such a diverse neighborhood, but I found it hard to find a place to eat my one meal in Astoria b/c there were few yelp! or zagat stickers on store fronts. Do your research ahead of time if you go to Astoria.

Flushing/Roosevelt Ave - You can definitely make a whole day of this - if you don't mind walking. There's a lot of Chinese/Asian, Indian and Latin food. I probably enjoyed this excursion the most, but I had good company that day, so that helped a bit. My favorite place was tortilla nixa...(sp?)

Conclusion - If you're visiting NYC, you can probably find everything you are looking for in Manhattan. There are some really unique and great places outside of Manhattan, but it takes more time and effort to get there. The other boroughs have a lot to offer, but if you only have a few days, Manhattan is where I would stay. I hope this helps!

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Queens Comfort
40-09 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11103

thanks comestible. I'll see if i can fit this in on my next trip to ny!

thanks for the tips motosport. I'm already looking forward to the weekend, so I can continue my food tour of the outer boroughs!

actually, I can't access my work intranet from my hotel right now, so heading to arthur ave today. Thanks for the recommendation!

So, I did the Roosevelt Ave/Flushing "tour" yesterday and it was great! But you guys were right, coming from CA, I already have a lot of choices when it comes to Latin and Asian food, so I'm looking forward to trying some authentic Italian, Eastern European, Middle Eastern and other cuisines.

Please keep the suggestions coming!

Thanks missmasala! I will visit astoria and brooklyn and/or the bronx next weekend.

Thanks Geo8rge. I did that yesterday. Walked from flushing down to about the 70s streets. My foodie friend and I concluded that nixtamal was our favorite, but there were a lot of great places to eat along the way. Thanks for all the tips!

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Tortilleria Nixtamal
104-05 47th Ave, Queens, NY 11368

Wow, this is great stuff! Thanks Mr Porkchop. I'll check out Astoria next Sat!

Does anyone think Astoria would be a good place to check out? I know there are a lot of good restaurants there, but are they all in a central area or are they pretty spread out? Is it a fun or boring place to walk around? I have a couple of open days and was wondering if I should go here in addition to Roosevelt Ave and Brooklyn. TIA!

Yeah, I realized that I spelled it wrong... :)

Thanks for the tip on Brooklyn. I'll work that into my trip, but on another day.

This is GREAT, thanks everyone!!

I will head out to Roosevelt and check out some of the other places noted above.

I love the subway system in manhattan, but wasn't sure if it was as good outside of manhattan. I'm glad to hear that it is! :) this is such a great site/community - I'll be here more often!

Anyone else have any suggestions?

Thanks Paulomet. Any suggestions on where to go from Flushing and how to get there?

Hi Everyone!

I visit NYC quite a bit, but I've never ventured into any of the burroughs. I know there's great food and shops out there though, but I need some suggestions.

I have all day Saturday to venture into and explore any of the burroughs/neighborhoods. The problem is I have to rely on public transportation, ideally the subway system, and maybe a cab ride or two, so I think I'm pretty limited.

Can anyone suggest a burrough or neighborhood(s) within a burrough where I can grab a bite to eat for breakfast, walk around (e.g., sight seeing, checking out shops, etc.), until lunch, and do the same after lunch in another part of town, until dinner?

Any suggestions for places worth checking out and restaurants nearby would be greatly appreciated! I'm leaving tomorrow and can't wait!

Thanks!!!

Michael